Thursday, 1 September 2022

Ministers statements: Ballarat East Avenue of Honour

Mr LEANE (Eastern Metropolitan—Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy, Minister for Veterans) (12:05): Today I would like to update the house on the grants program in the veterans portfolio that continues to support local communities to identify, remember and honour the contribution of Victorians in all conflicts and provide lasting recognition for the benefit of future generations. One of the grants I was very fortunate to see the benefit of only recently was when I joined the member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison—a good member—and the Ballarat mayor, Daniel Moloney—

A member interjected.

Mr LEANE: he is a good fellow—and other members of the community. The community members planted the first trees as part of the restoration of the Ballarat East Avenue of Honour. There are going to be 72 new oak trees which will line Melbourne Road and be accompanied by interpretive panels acknowledging the avenue and the veterans it honours. The project was funded by the Victorian government’s Restoring Community War Memorials and Avenues of Honour grant program with a grant to Ballarat council awarded in April 2022—that would be this year.

On the day we were joined by members of the Brown Hill Lions Club, the Brown Hill Progress Association, members of the Avenue of Honour working group and local historian Faye Parry. Faye told me she started the project while looking for recognition that may have been made of a family member, which is her father I believe. She researched and discovered the missing trees in this part of the Avenue of Honour. I really want to congratulate Faye and acknowledge her work and her research that has made restoring this part of the Avenue of Honour possible. I acknowledge all people that do this sort of work to make sure that we are paying our respects to our past heroes.